The present study has empirically examined the level of foreign exchange exposure and its determinants of CNX 100 companies. For the purpose of study, the relationship between exchange rate changes and stock returns for a sample of 82 companies was determined for the period April 2011-March 2016. The study finds that 49% of the sample companies had significant positive foreign exchange rate exposure and the found that the companies could be exporters or net importers. To explore factors determining foreign exchange rate exposure, variables such as export ratio, import ratio, size of a company, hedging activities were regressed against the exchange exposure and the study found that none of the factors was influencing the exchange rate exposure. The study concludes that the reasons for insignificant influence of the variables could be the natural hedging practices of companies, offsetting of exports and imports and heterogeneous of the sample size. The study offers few directions for future research in this area.
Exchange rate exposure in the South African stock market before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
